Los Angeles, CA – Night 9. Part of the fun in following Chaz Bundick’s musical wave, is his ability to change styles from one project to the next. For starters, we were first introduced to Toro Y Moi on the debut release of his subtle shakeup Causers of This, then he cut chillwave corners on his stellar 2011 offering Underneath the Pine, gifted us with electro-pop gems on Anything in Return, and this year he packaged a garage of indie ‘70s groove compilations on What For?, simply proving he is the chameleon of atmospheric production.
So, tie all those sonic aspects together and you’ve got the makings for an artsy dance party at any and every Toro Y Moi show. And last night (November 9) didn’t stray far from his far-out vibes.
Kicking off week two of RedBull’s 30 Days In LA concert series, Toro Y Moi enchanted the audience at the Teragram Ballroom with a set heavy on material from his cross-genre selections and experimental futuristic sounds. Backed by his ‘70s bandmates, Bundick made his way to the stage, greeting fans with a simple and warm “It’s great to be back,” before opening with his groove-heavy hit “Half Dome.” Dressed down in a white t-shirt, cuffed jeans and loafers, the quirky artist shuffled between leading guitar riffs and piano keys, while a swirling psychedelic backdrop hypnotized the crowd.
Blasting away to “How I Know,” “Say That,” “So Many Details,” and “Buffalo,” the sold-out venue swayed to his chillwave classics and modern rock tempos. Transcending an unorthodox hippie-pop sound into a futuristic time machine of rad records, Toro’s unflagging production and vocal chops somehow create an ambiance of mesmerizing happiness and feel good vibes.
Not skipping a beat, the 90-minute set closed with Toro spotlighting his bandmates and bashfully thanking the audience with a bleak “peace out.” It was the perfect intertwine of breezy care-free energy and plush pin-wheeled tunes, for a psychedelic dance party.